Vehicle body and door therefor



1936- 5. SMITH 2,050,070

v VEHICLE BODY AND DOOR THEREFOR Original Filed Oct. 12, 1933 INVENTOR:SYDNEYSNITH BY. /W

Patented Aug. 4, 1936" Sydney Smith, Chobham, England Originalapplication October 12, 1933, Serial No. 693,290. Divided and thisapplication March 16, 1934, Serial No. 715,858. In Great Britain October14, 1932 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicles, particularlyautomobile vehicles of the saloon type, being a division of applicationSerial No. 693,290 filed October 12, 1933.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved doorconstruction enabling the/or each door of the vehicle to centre itselfeliminate door rattle.

Referring to the drawing: Figure I shows part of a vehicle having a doorconstructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through one of the door hinges.

Figure 3 is a plan view of same.

Figure 4 is a detail showing one portion of the hinge.

'Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5' of Figure 1. Figure 6 shows inperspective a portion of the door.

At each side of the body ID of the vehicle there is provided a door I Iand at the door opening the metal of the body shell is flanged inwardlyat I2 to form theseat for the edges of the door.

' The principle is the same if there are two doors per side.

At the lower edge of the door opening the flange I3 bridges the gapbetween the side wall of the body shell and a spaced sheet metalreinforcement member [4, over the upper edge of which latter the flangeI3 is turned.

The flanges l2 at opposite sides of each door opening are of mutuallyconverging section, and the door which is formed from inner and outerpanels l5 and I 6 with wooden spacers I1, is of 1 corresponding form inboth horizontal and vertical sections.

The door I l is thus of shallow truncated pyramidal form with oppositeedges mutually, inclined or converging.

When moved intothe door opening, the door l-l seats upon the flanges t2and I3 with a wedging action and the door thus strengthens and stiffensthe body by providing additional strength or support at the door openingat which th body is comparatively weak,

The inclined-edges 18 of the door are made resilient by a lining ofstrips l9 of felt, rubber or the like, secured along one edge beneathbeading 20.

The panels l5 and I6 are connected by flanging or turning the edge 2| ofthe outer panel I6 over the flange 22 on the inner dished panel I5, andwhilst parts of the edge 2| are pressed firmly on to the flange 22 toconnect the panels rigidly together, as on the left hand side of Figure6, further tongues 23 are spaced from the surface of the flange 22, asshown on the right hand side of Figure 6. I

The outer longitudinal edge 24 of the strips 10 I9 are secured beneaththe tongues 23 and the strips l9 can readily be removed and renewed byremoving the heading 20 and pulling the strips from beneath the tongues23.

;.The doors shown are of the leaning type, and 15 each' door is hingedat its forward inclined side.

' In order that the door shall be self-centering in the door opening thehinges 25 each comprises two attachment brackets between which isdisposed a resilient rubber ball 26.

Each attachment bracket comprises two sheet metal pressings 21 and 28each formed at one end with a part spherical cup 29, and at the otherend with an attachment flange 30. The two pressings are welded together,so that the 25 cups 29 on the two pressings rest one within the otherand with the flanges 30 extending in opposite directions as shown inFigure 4. The cups 29 and the attachment flanges 30 are connected by anarm 32 of hollow form providing a strong 30 and rigid construction. I

When each hinge is mounted in position with I one attachment bracketsecured to the door and the other bracket to the body shell l0 adjacentthe door opening, the opposed cups 29, with the 35 ball 30 disposedtherein, are 'connected by a bolt 3|. a

The bolt 3| passes through clearance holes 33 in the cups 29, and thedoor, whilst normally held steadily, is capable of sufficient movementin any direction to centre itself in the door opening.

The hinges allow any necessary movement required for the door to centreitself and wedge into the door opening and in addition allow the door toengage the strips l9 entirely around the door opening so that there areno gaps at any side of the door.

The insertion therefor provides an extremely weather proof and draughtproof construction and the combination of the resilient hinges, thestrips I9 and the wedge-like fitting between the door and the dooropening, reduces or eliminates rattle or squeaking of the door in theopening, or of the hinges.

The flanges l2 are overturned at 34 on the 55 interior of the body toform channels at the sides and top of the door opening, and a fillingstrip I 35 of wood, felt, or other suitable packing material is securedin such channel. The strips 35 serve for the attachment of fittings oraccessories, and in addition reinforce the body and reduce thepossibility of drumming of the body shell.

The particular form of resilient hinge herein illustrated and applied isparticularly advantageous in the preferred construction illustrated,since this form of hinge is resilient in a direction transverse to theaxis of the hinge in addition to being resilient in an axial directionand the hinge will thus allow the door to move either parallel to ortransversely of the hinging axis to centre itself in the door opening.

This form of hinge per se forms no part of the present invention,however, but is covered by my co-pending application serially numbered755,898.

What I claim then is:-

1. A vehicle including in combination a body shell having a dooropening, a door for said door opening, inwardly directed flanges on saidbody shell at the edges of said opening to form a seat for said door,said flanges at opposite sides of said door opening extending towardsthe interior of said body in mutually converging relationship, said doorbeing of shallow truncated pyramidal form to seat upon said flanges, astrip of resilient material around the edges of said door, a projectingflange around the peripheral edge of said door, said strip seatingbetween said projecting flange and the side of said body shell and inaddition seating between the inwardly directed flanges on said bodyshell and the edges of said door, inner and outer panels for said door,beading attaching said strip at one longitudinal edge to said innerpanel, tongues on said outer panel engaging said strip at the otherlongitudinal edge, and resilient hinges for attaching said door to saidbody, to allow the door to centre itself in the opening and seat thereinwith a wedging action to stiffen and strengthen the body shell at thedoor opening.

2. A vehicle including in combination a body shell having a dooropening, a door for said door opening, inwardly directed flanges on saidbody shell at the edges of said opening to form a seat for said door,said flanges at opposite sides of said door opening extending towardsthe interior of said body in mutually converging relationship, said doorbeing of shallow truncated pyramidal form to seat upon said flanges, astrip of resilient material around the edges of said door, means forsecuring said strip to said door, a projecting flange around theperipheral edge of said door, said strip seating between said projectingflange and the side of said body shell and in addition seating betweenthe inwardly directed flanges on said body shell and the edges of saiddoor.

3. A vehicle including in combination a body shell having a dooropening, a door for said door opening, inwardly directed flanges on saidbody shell at the edges of said opening to form a seat for said door,said flanges at opposite sides of said door opening extending towardsthe interior of said body in mutually converging relationship, said doorbeing of shallow truncated pyramidal form to seat upon said flanges, astrip of resilient material aroundthe edges of said door, means forsecuring said strip to said door, a projecting flange around theperipheral edge of said door, said strip seating between said projectingflange and the side of said body shell and in addition seating betweenthe inwardly directed flanges on said body shell and the edges of saiddoor, and resilient hinges for attaching said door to said body, each ofsaid hinges being resilient in a direction transverse to the axisthereof and also in an axial direction toallow the door to seat into theopening with a wedging action.

4. A vehicle including in combination a body shell having a dooropening, a door for said door opening, inwardly directed flanges on saidbody shell at the edges of said opening to form a seat for said door,said flanges at opposite sides of said door opening extending towardsthe interior of said body in mutually converging relationship, said doorbeing of shallow truncated pyramidal form to seat upon said flanges, astrip of resilient material around the edges of said door, a projectingflange around the peripheral edge of said door, said strip seatingbetween said projecting flange and the side of said body shell and inaddition seating between the inwardly directed flanges on said bodyshell and the edges of said door, inner and outer panels for said door,beading attaching said strip at one longitudinal edge to said innerpanel, tongues on said outer panel engaging said strip at the otherlongitudinal edge, and resilient hinges for attaching said door to saidbody, each of said hinges being resilient in a direction transverse tothe axis thereof and also in an axial direction to allow the door toseat into the opening with a wedging action.

SYDNEY SMITH.

